To help you sort through the mass of options, we rounded up five of our favorite iPhone music apps. To keep things simple, we limited our scope to free selections that have a heavy focus on full music playback. Not everything included here will be a perfect fit for every iPod user, but you're sure to find something that will float your boat.
1. PandoraPros: Straightforward and easy to use; saves user data to account; nice interface with prominent album art; good music selection.
Cons: Skip limits; pop-up ads on every track; no community features.
The gist: If you only get one music streaming app for the iPhone or iPod Touch, make it Pandora--it's a great introduction for those who are anxious to hear some new tunes.
2. Last.fm
Pros: Plentiful community features and perhaps the best-tailored music recommendations; let's you add individual tracks to playlists for calling up later; lets you tag tracks and purchase directly from iTunes; no ads that we noticed.
Cons: Interface isn't as straightforward as those of Pandora and Slacker; not as valuable to users who aren't involved in the Last.fm community; a bit slower than other music apps listed here; skip limits.
The gist: With all its features, tabs, and buttons, the Last.fm application is one of the most in-depth and dynamic streaming music applications available for the iPhone.
3. Slacker
Pros: Straightforward and easy to use; saves user data to account; nice interface with prominent album art; heart and ban buttons to tailor playback to your liking; station listing page is graphically pleasing with album thumbnails.
Cons: Skip limits; no community features.
The gist: Sound quality, speed, and access to tunes are the most important ingredients in a mobile streaming radio app, and this app has them in spades--it's a worthwhile download for anyone who wants to less ads than found on Pandora.
4. imeem
Pros: Unlike other music apps, imeem gives you "cloud" access to part of your own library; includes useful sections that spotlight artists and recommend music based on your tastes; offers a sharing feature; has a nice interface that's easy to browse.
Cons: Limited by the usual Internet radio restrictions (skip limits, inability to play songs by the same artist back to back); access to your library is limited to 100 tracks unless you pony up a yearly subscription fee.
The gist: Beyond the appeal of streaming your music collection form the cloud, the rest of the Imeem application falls somewhere between the simplicity of the Pandora app, and the more personalized, social approach of Last.fm.
5. iheart radio
Pros: Let's you listen to radio stations from most major metropolitan areas across the U.S.; sound quality is generally better than standard FM radio; less commercials than standard FM radio; includes a fun "Shake It" feature that randomizes stations.
Cons: Station list is dominated by Clear Channel and other corporate offerings, meaning you won't find any cool, indie frequencies here; quality for some stations is poor.
The gist: If you love Top 40 and miss some of the hit stations from where you grew up (or where you went to school, etc.), iheart radio provides a portal for you to enjoy that content again.
Honorable mention: Shazam
Pros: Identifies songs playing over the air with the push of a button; shows album art for identified tracks; offers links for directly purchasing the song through iTunes or watching the video on YouTube.
Cons: Only works for recorded music; doesn't work well in noisy environments; often can't identify fringe music.
The gist: Shazam is a great download for people who are constantly wondering "what's the name of that tune?" while out and about.
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